'Physiological Genomics of Cardiovascular Disease' conference

Conference - "Physiological Genomics of Cardiovascular Disease." Nearly a dozen of the nation's top scientists involved in the genetics, potential therapies and new avenues of investigation for human cardiovascular disease are presenting their views to physiological investigators at this upcoming conference. In addition to the keynote speech by Francis S. Collins, MD, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, the conference will include more than 100 scientific presentations.

Why:

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) is a hereditary disease involving multiple genes. Predictive gene testing to determine who is at risk before symptoms appear is expected to be available via research programs in the coming years. Gene therapy, molecular therapy, and pharmacogenetics (matching a patient's genetic makeup to an appropriate medication) are among the great promises for treating and possibly correcting the this common, complex and costly disease. Top researchers from across the country (see below) will discuss the status of their investigations into genomics, genetics, gene testing and gene therapy, and offer some predictions for the future.

CVD is the nation's leading cause of death in both men and women and extends across every racial and ethnic line. Nearly one million Americans die from CVD each year, accounting for nearly half of all American deaths each year. Since CVD affects 1 in 4 people, the economic impact is a staggering $300 billion annually. As the population ages, the breadth and cost of the epidemic is expected to sharply surge.

When:

February 20-23, 2002

Where:

San Francisco, CA

Who:

The program is being sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS), which was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied science, much of it relating to human health. The Bethesda-MD based Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its l4-peer-reviewed journals annually. The conference is co-sponsored by Physiological Genomics, one of the Society's premier scientific publications. Physiological Genomics focuses on innovations in genomics and proteomics that hold significant promise for medical research.

For further information contact Donna Krupa at 703.527.7357 or at [email protected]. To review the abstracts, log on to http://www.the-aps.org/meetings/aps/san_francisco/PG2002 PROGRAM.PDF.